Customer Reviews

The Chicago Musical Revue Plays Selections From The Phantom Of The Opera

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I actually think this CD is a better version than with Sarah Brightman. She has such a soothing voice, and the dude that plays the phantom, man has he got some range.

If you are a devoted Phantom Phan, as myself, you will enjoy this cd. It is not the best Phantom version, but a very good one. If you have a complusive need to own every version of anything Phantom, such as myself, this cd is a good choice.

Singers were good, but the overshadowing of loud trumpets and even a trumpet solo, seemed so out of character from all the other 'Phantom' versions.
It's different... Not in a bad way, but different in production.

Phantom of the Opera is not an easy thing to perform, so over the years it has been repeatedly minced by untrained singers and musicians. Now, I don't mean to be rude, but if I wanted to hear something like this, I would listen to a parade marching band. It's pretty bland, and the "vocal talent" as it is referred to might as well be singing "Domo Origato" because that's what it sounds like. Unless you are tone deaf, ignore this.

The cd was basically done well. My only problem with it was that no one seemed to show ANY emotion! Some of the voice parts in Prima Donna are also missing, which dissapointed me somewhat. I found the Raoul sounded FAR more operatic than the Phantom, who had a nice voice, but not quite what I was expecting from a Phantom. I did enjoy the reprises of MOTN and PONR. They reminded me of something a good school jazz band would play. The cd was decent overall, but if you're looking for passion, tenderness, and the like, this is not the cd you're looking for.

I don't own the actual CD, but I listened to all of the sample clips. Here's what I think:

Overture: Very weak, with a techno rhythm. Almost unrecognizable.

Think Of Me: Again, weak, but Christine has a good voice.

Angel of Music. Okay, the strings sound a little fake(as if they were done by a keyboard), the Phantom almost sounded like a woman, but had a nice voice nonetheless.

Phantom of the Opera: The brass and organ after the first verse was very loud and should have been quieted down. The drums seem a tad out of rhythm sometimes.

Music of the Night: The music was a little too powerful. They should of "floated" slowly into the music instead of landing with a thud into it. Again, a bit weak.

Final opinion: Music was nice, and was obviously difficult to perform, and I appreciate the orchestra's effort, but was either weak or overdone. Voices were nice also. Seemed like the orchestra was missing half of its musicians. Sounds like an off-off Broadway show.

What I think you should do: If you are a Phantom Phan like me, listen to the clips first. Yes, the quality is not as good, but it will give you a good insight on what you are going to get. If you like it, go for it. If you don't, don't, and get the original London soundtrack. Simple as that. If you are a music fan: buy at your own risk.